The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-26
Geology of the Gas Field.

The theory. advanced lately. that the Cncin-
natl arch extending into Indiana has given rise
to great gas and oil wealth is not tenahle, in
view of the facts; nor is it true that an anticllne
other than mere spur. exists in Indiana par
allel with the Cincinnati ARCH The Indiana
arch (which is the Wabash arch reported upon
by Professor Gorby in the last State report) is
almost vertical to that of Ohio, and it has been
upifted since the deposit of the Upper Silurian
formation. I noted an editorial in the News,
the other day, in which it was stated that Prof.
Orion had intlmated, or had said, that Dr.
Phin ney is right in claiming that the Cincinnati
arch has a parallel or twin fold in eastern In
diana. hardly think that so-wise and careful
q geologist as Professor Orion has positively
asserted this to be fact for the proof is to the
contrary. do not say this in controversial
spirit, but IN order to present the facts
Beginning at Union City, say, and crossing
the State of Indiana to the Illinois liue near
Kentland, straight line will cut the waves and
ridges of upheavel which are lateral off-shoots
from an irregular anticline that runs practically
vertical to the great Ohio arch. This upheaval
Affects all the strata below the Devoniau. The
horings lately made in Indiana have fully sup
ported this statement made in my report the
Fifteenth Indiana), and fully sketched by Prof.
Gorby in his study of the Wabash arch. At
Kentland the Niagara rocks are upheaved as
to stand almost vertically. but the
Devonian and Subcarboniferous strata
are near at hand and undsturbed
being deposited nonconformably upon the up-cast
older formation. At Monon the Niagara lime
stone Is outcropping and is broken into small
angular blocks by innumerable zigzae rents
portunity, the other day. to study these fracture
lines at point whore the surface of the rock
had been exposed by recent rain. A space of,
perhaps, fifteen or twenty square yards of this
example of glacial planning and striaton l ever
have seen. is washed as clean floor. In this
smooth surface the fracture lines appear crossed
by the parallel grooves ana stri9 of the glacial
action would call the special attention of geolo
gists to this spot which the crossing of Monon
creek by the Indianapolis branch of the Monon
line. The railroad bitches have washed off the
sandy drift deposits from the old glacial floor,
and thus have made a most interesting and in
structive exposure. Nowhere in Indiana have
seen perfect record of the ice age. At one
place traced parallel strie for thirty feet Mr..
w. ii. Thompson, who is making a study Of that
district for the next report, will preserve speci-
mems of this rock for the State Museum. But
mention this exposure here because it shows
that the vertical lines Of fracture in the Niagara
rock were made prior to the glacial action upon
their surface. At Delphi Professor Gorby re-
ports the Niagara rock tilted and broken, with
the Devouian strata nonconformably superim-
posed. Near Wabash and Huntington thesWa-
bash river has made its bed in an old crevice IL
resistible, and the facts are constantly accumu-
lating to support it, that the, axis of the
arch in Indiana is, III general
way, vertical to that of the Cincinnati
anticline and that the upheaval has been accom-
plished since the deposition of the Niagara rock
am inclined to think that the Niagara lime
stone outcropping at MoEon is near the upper
limit of that formation and that there may be
small areas of Devonian there or in the neigh
borhood, though could find none. The geolog-
ical map of northern Indiana will have to be
greatly reformed ard the Devonian area dmin-
ished. If the area north of the Wabash river
prove barren of gas and OIL or largely SO, it will
be further proof of the marked nature of the
line of disturbance / have described, for it will
show that, as in Pennsylvania and New York,
the upheaval has a barren and productive side,
caused by pecuarities of the fold-structure. l
shall not expect to hear of any strong gas we'll
on the bank of the Wabash river, but I do not
say tina: it is impossible for gas to be there. My
opinion, however, is that it is prob
ably absent from the rock or
only accidentally present in it on
account of assures along the apex of the anticne,
in one of which assures the Wabash runs most
of the way from Huntington to Lafayette. How
far from these assures in any direction the
deposition Of oil and the accumulation of gas
have been affected. cannot be said, because the
facts are obscured by the drift That they have
been affected to some extent. it seems impossible
to doubt. do not hesitate to say that gas will
be the exception and its absence the rule all
Huntington; for it cannot be doubted that the
assures have mentioned extend down into the
Lower Silurian formation There is posi-
bility in connection with the facts-and we can
consider none not so connected-that leaves some
hope of finding gas along the Wabash
The upheaval was followed by subsistence which
may have closed the assures in the lower
shnles before the gas had all escaped. or the gas
mag still be forming from the destruction Of
crude rock-ol i would say here and with
emphasis that the distance above or below
sea level of Trenton limestone in the gas wells
is not safe gauge of the structural features Of
the rock difference of a few feet in the
levels at which the bores touch Trenton lime
stone may Indicate thickening or thinning of
the deposit 1t is oulv when we can see the
evidence that we can safely declare the existence
of fold. This evidence is to be seen at many
points between Kentiand. in Newton county.
aud the Ohio line along the course sketched by
Professor Gorby, and this evidence of disturb
ance, though not great has been traced for
a long way in Illinois. whilst it's existence in
/ northern Ohio is made plain by the able report
of Professor Orton, Ohio's distinguished State
Geologist.
If am right in this conclusion. we shall find
gas north of the Wabash iii we find it there at
ALL in spurs or waves running vertically to the
axis of the Wabash disturbance, or at those
points where the main arch Las mt been tract
ured at its highest line during the up.ift and the
subsistence which followed. From tho facts so
far gathered, the Wabash arch appears to be
a 10y. broad fold Of irregular outline which at